Fabric-printing machine



D. L. SNOW.

FABRIC PRINTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 18. 1919.

Patented June 8, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET lf H E? n. L. swow, FABRIC PRINTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT- 18, I9I9.

Patented June 8, 1920" DAVID LQSNOW, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

FABRIC-PRINTING MACHINE' To aZ Z whom it mafi concerm- Be it known t at 1, DAVID L. Snow, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Fabnc-lrmtmg f Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to flat bed machines for printing designs on fabrics such, for,

example, as linoleum and oil cloth, but it" will be understood that it may be applied to printing fabrics. generally, it being applicable to machines of the t pe shown m the United Statesv patent to Eisenhardt, No.-

5 476135, dated May 31st, 1892.

The primary object of 'my invention is to provide a machine having a printing head 7 or heads with a plurality of printing faces adapted to be turned so asto produce different impressions or the same impression in reverse positions, whereby the number of heads can be reduced and the machines sim-' plified.

A particular designs in which the oppositeends of the pattern are duplicated in reverse relation, the impressions at the opposite ends of the pattern being formed by a block that is turned. automatically. to effect these impressions respectively at the beginning and the end'of the printing cycle.

The characteristic features of the invention are set forth in the following description and the accompanying drawings in illustration thereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation of a broken machine embodying my improvements; F 1g. 2 1s a side elevation of detached details partially hidden in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a broken end elevation illustrating an enlarged printing block and its connection; Fig. 4 is a planview of the construction illustrated in Fig.

3; Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate plan views of opposite-faces of the detached end printing head and Fig. 7 is a plan view of a design v adapted to be produced by' the machine.

The machine shown in the drawings, by way of illustrating a form of the invention, comprises a frame 1 provided with the wheels 2 whereby it is movable laterally on the tracks 3.

The frame 1 is provided with'a bed 4 over which the fabric to be printed is drawn by Specification of Letters Patent.

Application-filed September 18, 1919. Serial No. 324,536.

application of the construc- Jtion is found in the printing of so calledrug Patented June8, 1920.

endless bands 5 carried by wheels 6'. Slides I 7 are movable vertically in the guides ,8 on

the frame and'are provided with rollers 9 which are engaged by'com ound cams 10 on the journaled shafts 11 slides. The cams 10 are or operating the also adapted for engaging-and shifting rollers 12 on arms 13 which are fixed to journaled' shafts 14, the arms 13 being provided with the catches 15 for engaging lugs 16 on the members 7 to hold the latter elevated at predetermined times in the operating cycle.

Theshafts 151 have weighted arms 17 fixed thereon which normally acton the arms 13 to. effect the withdrawal of the catches 15 from the lugs 16 and permit theslides. 7 to descend.

A reciprocatory rod 18 is provided-with I the pivoted dogs- 19 which are'adapted to be thrown into position for engaging the arms 17 and rocking the arms 13 to throw the catches 15 into engagement with the lugs 16,- the dogs being thrownback out of' position for engaging theweighted arms when the catches are to'remain out of en-' gagement withthe lugs. 'The rod 18 is reciprocated by a crank lever 20 having a rocking engagement therewith, .the lever being rocked by a .cam 21 revoluble in synchronous relation in the operation of the machine.

Ink troughs 22, provided with the transv fer rollers 23 revoluble therein, are con nected together and are provided with the wheels 24 which run on the rails 25, this inking mechanism being reciprocated in synchronous relation in the operation of the mechanism under the printing heads carried by. the reciprocating members 7, to transfer, the ink to the printing blocks or forms of such heads. I

This mechanism, thus generally described,

is of well known construction.

In accordance with my improvements, the members .7 carry the printing heads 26 which have the spindles 27 journaled in said mem- .bers,'the heads being provided with the printing forms or blocks 28 and 29 bearing the configurations 30 and 31 in the case of 'the first block, as illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, and the configuration 32 on the blocks carried by the succeeding heads, the configurations 30 and 31 forming the end impressions and the configuration 32 forming the intermediate impressions of the figure or pattern illustrated in Fig. 7. r

against turning. The head 26 having Gear wheels 33 are journaled on the respective spindles 27 and areprovidedwlth spring pressed pawls 34 for engaging ratchet A dog 38, fulcrumed at 33 on the adjacent member 7, is pressed by a spring against each disk 36 and is adapted for engagingmeans fordrawing a fabric over said bed,

the notches 37 thereof alternately. An arm 41 is connected by a pivot 42 -w1th each dogv 38 and is pressed by a spr1ng 43 toward thecorresponding disk 36, the part 41 1 being provided with a roller 44 adapted; to'

engage the inclined cam 45." 'As the head 26 is carried down by-the members 7, the. roller 44 strikes the to of the cam 45 which v throwsthe arm 41 bac ward against the ac-" .tion of its spring 43 until the roller passes.

below the cam, the engagement of the dog 38' with the disk 36 holding the head 26 reached the limit of its downward move-j ment and the roller. 44 having passed below thecam 45,. the head rises and the dog is retracted from the disk by the action of the cam on the roller, the head being thereby freed so that it can turn.

Racks 46, fixed on the frame I, engage the gear wheels 33 to effect their'revolution as the heads 26 are reciprocated vertically. In the upward movement of a head 26, its dogs 4 i 38 having been withdrawn initially fromthe engaging notches of the disks 36, the- -revolution of the wheels 33 by the engaging racks 46 causes the pawls 34 to act upon the ratchets 35 and turnthe head 26 through a half revolution, reversing the positions of the blocks 28 and 29. The dog 38 now regis- 'ters with and engages in the second notch of the disk 36 at the upper limit of the movement of the head which is held' against further turning thereby. As the .head descends to effect the printing operation, the

racks 46 revolve the gears 33 reversely so that the pawls 34 ride over the ratchets 35 until the limit of the downward movement --is reached and the printing operation effected.

Inthe production of the design shown in Fig. v'2' the block 28 bearing the configuration 30- makes the first impression and the impression 31 is made by the block 29 as the last step of the operation, the head 26 having been reversed to effect this result-by the properly timed action. In the same mannerthe intermediate blocks may be reversed to produce succeedingpanels 32 of the design or they may be used as fixed printingblocks by detaching the parts 34 and 41, it being within the purpose of my invention to'use a machine having a single revoluble head adapted for producing only the end panels of the design.

If the pattern requires two or more col- .can be used for printing (by reversing it) the opposite ends of such pattern in a second,

color, and so on.

IIaving described my invention, I claim:' 1 1. In a printing machine ofthe class de-' scribed, the combination with a bed and of a plurality of reciprocatory heads, comprising a head having-"a plurality of printing faces and, means whereby it. can .be. turned to position said faces so that they can be pressed against a fabricon said bed,

and mechanism for selectively operating said heads in synchronous relation; Y

2. -In a printing machine of the class de'- scribed, the combination with a bed and means for drawing a fabric over said bed,

of a plurality'of printing heads comprising a journaled head havinga plurality of printing faces,'means for reciprocating said heads transversely to. said bed, means for turning said journaled head and positioning the remeans for selectively operating said heads in synchronous relation.

.90' spective faces for printing said fabriciand 3. In a printing machine of the class de- I scribed, the combination with-abed and "means-for drawing a fabric over said bed,

of a plurality of reciprocatory printing heads arranged in sequence in the direction ofmovement of said fabric and'means for reciprocating said heads to print said fabric, one of said heads having a plurality of printing faces'aiid adapted forbringing' the respective faces .into position for printing V :'such fabric. I

, 4. Ina printing machineof the class de' scri-bed,'the combination with a bed, of aplurality of journaledheads respectively provided with a plurality of printing faces,

means for reciprocating said heads separately in synchronous relation, and means for turning said. heads to bring the respective faces thereof into printingpo'sition.

5. In a printing machine of the class described, the combination with a bed, of a plurality of printing heads, comprising a journaled printing headhaving a plurality,

of printing faces, means for reciprocating to effect the printing operation, and means for automatically turning said journaled head to bring its respective faces into printing position.

' said heads selectively relatively to said bed journaled, a stationary rack, and automatic means comprising a gear engaging said rack whereby said head is adapted to be turned in its reciprocatory movement to bring the respective faces into printing positions.

8. In a printing machine of the class described, the combination with a bed, of a head having a plurality of printing faces,

. means for reciprocating said head, means comprising a rack and gear for turning said head to bring the respective faces into printing position, automatic means for locking said head in the printing positions of the respective faces and automatic means for unlocking said head in synchronous relation to the turning operation.

9. In a printing machine of the class described, the combination with a bed, of a head having a plurality of printing faces, means for reciprocating said head to effect the printing operations, and means for turning said head to bring the respective printing faces into printing position in synchronous relation to its reciprocatory movements, said means last named comprising a gear journaled relatively to said head, a rack engaged by said gear, and a clutching mechanism whereby said gear is engaged to said head in its movement in one direction and disengaged from said head in its movement in the reverse direction. I

10. In a printing mechanism of the class described, the combination with a bed, of a plurality of printing heads comprising a head having a plurality of printing faces,

' means for reciprocating said'heads selectively to effect the printing operations, means for turning said head to bring the respective faces into printing position in predetermined relation to the operation of the remaining heads, and means for locking and unlocking said head to prevent and permit its turning movement, said means last named comprising a dog and a cam for operating said dog.

11. In a printing machine of the class described, a plurality of printing heads comprising a head having a plurality of printing faces, means for reciprocating said heads in predetermined relation to effect the printing operations, means for turning said head to bring the respective faces selectively into printing position, and means for locking and unlocking said head to prevent and permit its turning movement, said means last named comprising a notched disk fixed to said head, a dog having means for holding it in engagement with said disk and a cam for disengaging said dog from its engagement with the notches of said disk.

12. In a printing machine of the class described, a head having a plurality of printing faces, means for reciprocating said head to effect the printing operation, means for turning said head to bring the respective faces into printing position and means for locking said head in the printing position and for unlocking it to permit the turning operation, said means last named comprising a disk fixed to said head, an oscillatory dog adapted to engage said disk, said dog having an operative device connected in movable relation thereto, and a cam whereby said device is moved in the printing operation of said head without disengaging said dog from said disk and in the reverse operation of said head .to disengage said dog from said disk.

Signed at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, this 16th day of September, 1919.

DAVID L. SNOW. 

